After a season in which Iowa State played only two football games with a traditional 1 p.m. start time, the 2003 schedule for the Cyclones is already beginning to shuffle for television.

The Cyclones’ annual clash with Missouri, originally scheduled for Nov. 1 in Columbia, Mo., will be played Nov. 29 at 12 p.m. and will be televised nationally by ABC, athletics department officials said Wednesday.

“This will go out to about 80 percent of the country,” said ISU Athletics Director Bruce Van De Velde.

It will be the second time Iowa State has played during the Thanksgiving weekend during the last three years. In 2001, the Cyclones defeated Iowa 17—14 on Nov. 24 after the game was postponed from September because of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

Van De Velde said ABC was originally interested in televising the Iowa State-Iowa battle, played in Ames this year, on the late November date.

“We’d be open to that,” he said.

Iowa’s athletic department, Van De Velde said, has always opposed moving the intrastate rivalry from its traditional mid-September date.

“The problem with Thanksgiving is that you do run into weather problems,” he said.

The new date for the Missouri game will give the Cyclones a break after an October during which Iowa State plays Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Texas and Nebraska on consecutive weekends. After the new bye week, the Cyclones host Kansas State and Colorado in what may be crucial games for the Big 12 North Division title.

“A television appearance like that is good,” said Chad Moller, director of media relations for Missouri’s athletic department.

“Both schools were interested in doing it,” he said. “We’re just waiting to get all the details worked out.”

The start time of the Cyclones’ final nonconference game, scheduled for Sept. 27 against Northern Illinois, in DeKalb, Ill., is also in question.

The game may be moved to Friday night, Sept. 26, so that it can be televised by ESPN2, Van De Velde said.

“We’re not committed to anything right now,” he said.

Van De Velde said Big 12 Conference members have voted unanimously to not play home games on Fridays, because that night is traditionally reserved for high school games.

Because Northern Illinois is hosting the game, Van De Velde said he would try to respect their wishes for the game.

The possible payout for a televised game would be a big boost for a school like Northern Illinois, Van De Velde said. Northern Illinois is in the Mid-American conference, which rarely has games televised nationally.

Mid-American Conference officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Northern Illinois athletics officials declined to comment.

According to the conference’s Web site, the Mid-American Conference was guaranteed seven nationally televised games for the 2002 season, including three postseason bowl games.

In contrast, Big 12 games are televised weekly during the season by several cable networks. ABC also televises games throughout the season.

In 2002, Iowa State was paid $216,315 for each of its three ABC appearances, said ISU media relations director Tom Kroeschell.

Iowa State appeared on television in 10 of its 14 games during its 7—7 2002 season.

Two games are already scheduled for television this season.

Iowa State’s home game against Iowa on Sept. 13 will be televised by Fox Sports Net at 11:30 a.m., and the home game against Oklahoma Oct. 4 will be played at 6 p.m. and televised by TBS.

The 2003 season begins Aug. 30 with a game at Jack Trice Stadium against Northern Iowa.